| Lucius Mussius Aemilianus | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usurper of theRoman Empire | |||||||||
 Aemilianus fromPromptuarii Iconum Insigniorum | |||||||||
| Reign | 260 or 260-261 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Gallienus | ||||||||
| Successor | Gallienus | ||||||||
| Died | 261 or 262 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Father | Italian | ||||||||
Lucius Mussius AemilianussignoAegippius (died 261 or 262) was aRoman who held a number of military and civilian positions during the middle of the third century. He is best known as aRoman usurper during the reign ofGallienus.
The sources for this emperor includeEusebius,Ecclesiae Historia 7.11;Epitome de Caesaribus, 32.4;Historia Augusta, "Gallienus" 4.1–2, 5.6, 9.1; "Tyranni Triginta" 22.1–8, as well as severalpapyri and one inscription.
Mussius Aemilianus probably was of Italian stock. His career in imperial service is documented up to 18 May 247 from an inscription recovered atFiumicino.[1] Appointments he held up to that date includepraefectus vehiculorum trium provinciarum Galliarum,procurator Alexandreae Pelusi and a third location (now lost),procurator portus utriusque Ostiae.
Valerian appointed himPraefectus ofRoman Egypt, a position he held from possibly as early as 256 to 261.[2] While the primary concern of the governor of Egypt was to safeguard the harvest and delivery of grain to the populace of Rome, he had other responsibilities which included resuming the persecution of Christians that had started under his predecessorAurelius Appius Sabinus.Eusebius preserves a letter of BishopDionysius of Alexandria where the bishop documents his trial before Mussius Aemilianus for professing Christianity, for which he was exiled to Cephro in the Libyan Desert.[3] A surviving papyrus, dated to 259/260, has been identified as an independent witness to this trial.[4]
He supported the rebellion of theMacriani againstGallienus (260–261). When the Macriani were defeated Mussius Aemilianus proclaimed himself emperor.[5]
Gallienus sent his generalAurelius Theodotus to Egypt to deal with Aemilianus. After a short struggle Aemilianus was defeated (before 30 March 262), captured, and later strangled in prison. SubsequentlyMemor, a possible supporter, was executed.